High Cheese

The Phillies have signed righthander Chad Qualls to a 1-year, $1.15 million contract, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today. The contract includes performance and awards bonuses.

Qualls, 33, was 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA in a team-high 77 games for the San Diego Padres last season. In his final 19 appearances, he had a 1.96 earned run average and held batters to a .219 batting average. Qualls made the eighth-most relief appearances among all major league pitchers last year.

Qualls has made more appearances (512) than any other major league pitcher since 2005 and ranks second in relief wins (34), trailing only Jesse Crain (38).

He was a second-round selection by the Houston Astros. His career record is 38-34 with 51 saves and a 3.78 ERA in 537 games for the Astros (2004-07), Arizona Diamondbacks (2008-10), Tampa Bay Rays (2010) and Padres (2011).